Improvement in paper-feeding machines



' 5Sheets-SheetI. J. T, & F. ASHLEY.

PAPER-FEEDING MACHINE. No,18Z ,14-6, Patented Sept. 12, 1876.

S 0 k W WITNES ES 5 f z/ .INVENTORJ.

I A %0 /m/t KM; @kgaf V 5 Sheets-SheetZ. J. T.& F. ASHLEY. PAPER-FEEDING MACHINE.

Patented Sept.12,1876.

WITNES Es N. PETERS, PHOYO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHANGTON, D Cv 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. T. & F. ASHLEY. PAPER-FEEDING MACHINE. No.18Z,146. Patented Sept. 12,1876.

x I INVENTORAS'. WITNEQSES a fall W I I v l mwM W ATTORNEYS N. PETERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C. v

5Sheets-Sheet5. J. T. & F. ASHLEY.

PAPER-FEEDING MACHINE.

31 ,182,146, Pat.ent.ed Sept. 12, 1876.

N- PEIERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

i Specifieationforming part of Letters Patent No. 182,146, dated September 12, 1876; application'filed January 8, 1876.

UNITED STATES PATENT 0mm;

JOHNT. ASHLEY AND FREDERIOKASHLEY, on WILLIAMSBURG, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PAPER-FEEDING MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

tionof the'construetion and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference .marked thereon.

Figure 11 of the drawings is a representation of a side View of our paper-feeding machine,

.and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional 'view thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view, Fig. 4 a sideview, and Fig. 5 an end view, of the same.

The object of invention is to improvemachines which are designed for feeding sheets of paper, one sheet at a time, to printing-presses and other machines.

Thenature of our invention consists, first, ina tray or table, having an intermittent vibrating motion, on which'the pile of paper is placed, havinglaterally-adjustable side guides, and also an adjustable inclined back, which, .with a pushing-back foot or feet, will free the topmost sheet from the next sheet below it previous to the removal of such sheet from the pile, as will be hereinafter explained. Second, in. a novel device, actuated by a cam on the main driving-shaft, for automatically depressing the feed-table and its remov- (able tray previous to the picking up of the topmost sheet of the pile, as will be hereinafter explained.

Third, in means which will lift and carry the sheet of paper forward to the feed-board,- then release it to receive its side register, in combination with tapes of the feed-board'running at right angles to, the side guide and friction-fingers, for adjusting the front edge of the sheet to the guides of a printing-press.

Fourth, in a vertically and horizontally reciprocating bar, carrying pneumatic pickingup fingers, and actuated by means of vibrating extensible arms, attached to an oscillating trunk, in combination with flexible pipes co1n= municating with. said fingers and trunk, as will be hereinafter explained;

Fifth, in extensible'vibrating arms anda reciprocating bar, carrying picking-up fingers, in combinationwith a valve, which is applied to the oscillating trunk, and which is opened 1 afiixed laterally-adjustable side guidesa} a,

and an inclined longitudinally-adjustable back,

b, which presents a rough surface.

,The object of this back I) is,.that when th top sheet of the. pileis pushed back by the-action of a frictional foot, 0, the friction of the roughened surfaceof said back shall keep down the next sheet below. p

The foot 0 is applied to a bar, D, extending across the frame A, and is located ator near the middle of the width of the tray G.

If desired, two frictional feet, c, may be'employed, in which case we prefer to attach them to two stops, dd, adjustably secured to the bar D.

The front of the tray is held up by means of a' spring, S, beneath the front edgeof the table, and the topmost sheet of the pile is gently pressed byv said spring againstthe two stops (1 d, which are placed at the front end instead of the side of theframe. At the front of the tray Uis a self-adjusting clamp, e, the hori! zontal lip of which is designed to act on the top of the'pile of paper. When the topmost sheet is pushed back from beneath the clamp e by meansiof the foot 0, this clamp will rest upon the next sheet below.

E E designate two levers, which end, the free ends of which are held up against single-throw cams f on the main shaftF, by

means of springs 8. These levers E are depressed at every revolution of the shaft F,

and operate on the table B through the medium of clamps g and rods h. The clamps g are loosely applied on the rods h, and are acted are pivoted to the sides of the frame A near its front 2 reams the other of whichthe sheets are moved and.

registered by means of endless'tapesj. These tapes pass around rollers 70 7c, and they are arranged at right angles to the sides i t', so that, when a sheet is moved forward on the feed-board G, it will be carried in a lateral direction and registered. Sheets can be moved either to the'right or left hand registering-side '0; by running the belt 1 straight or crossed. H designates atrunk, from which air is exhausted by any suitable engine. This trunk receives oscillation from a cam, m, on the shaft F by means of an arm, m lever m slide'm and a spring, at. t

I designates a bar, having slides a nsecured to its ends, which move in guidewaysp gand also in ways which are formed on sashes T. The bar I is connected to the trunk by extensible arms N N, which freely accommodate themselves to the vertical and horizontal movements which are given to the said bar. P P are picking-up fingers, which communigate with the trunk H by means of flexible tubes R B- The fingers P P are fixed to clamps r,.which are adjustable on bar I, and 1 to which frictional fingers are t secured. These fingers it may be secured to bar I independent of the fingers P.

V designates a valve, which is hinged to the trunk H, and constructed with a lip, 2, on one corner, through which a rod, to, plays freely. The rod to is secured to the upper end of a sliding section of one of the arms, N,-and on the upper end of said rod a head, to, is formed, which closes valve V simultaneously with the contact of the fingers with the top sheet of vthe pile. u ValveV is opened at the proper time to drop a sheet by means of a fixed bracket, 3, against which the lip 2 strikes. on which the bar I rests when it is at the termination of its back-stroke, receive vertical motion from the main shaft by means of single- ;thrQw cams on this shaft.

A pile of paper is adjusted on the tray 0, beneath the frictional foot 0, the stops dd, and the lip of the clamp e. parted to the main shaft F, and from this shaft to the bar I), carrying the pneumatic picking-up fingers P P and frictional fingers t. "The table B, with its tray and pile of panext lower sheet and the clamp e.

The sashes T,

Motion is then im-.

per, receives an intermittent vibrating motion, so timed relatively to the-movements of-bar D that as this bar is" brought over the front of the pile of paper the topmost sheet will be slipped back by the foot 0, and freed from the Thetable B will then descend, and at the same time the fingers P P will pick up the topmost sheet. This sheet is then carried forward on the feedboard G, and dropped just before the bar terminates its stroke.

The sheet, upon being released, receives its side-register by means of the tapes of'the feed-board running at right angles to the side guide. Simultaneously with the side adjustment of the sheet, the friction -fingers t are brought into use to adjust the front'edge of the sheet to the guides of a printing-press. (Not shown in the drawings.) The sheet is released'from the device which lifts and carries it by the opening of the valve V.

. What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

l. The combination of the frictional foot 0, the table B, having an intermittent vibrating motion, and the adjustable inclined back b,-for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a feed-table, of a mechanism for depressing the feed -,table, which consists, substantially, in levers E, cams f, springs s, rods h, and clampg.

3. In an automatic paper-feeder, the lifting device, substantially as described, which'carries the sheet of paper forward to the feedboard, then releases it to receive its side reg- 5. Valve V, applied to the trunk H, and actuated as described, in combination with a bar, I, carrying pioking-up'fingers P, and with vibrating extensible arms, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the above we have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN T. ASHLEY. FREDERICK ASHLEY.

Witnesses;

GEORGE E. UPHAM,

ISAAC S. WATERS. 

